1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera and an image recording method, and more particularly to a digital camera and an image recording method which sort image data and record the image data in a recording medium.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A digital camera, which converts image signals outputted from a solid-state imaging device such as CCD into digital image data and records the image data in a memory card, is in widespread use. To each image data, a sequence number representing an image capturing date and an image capturing order is applied before recording of the image data in the memory card. The memory card has been upgrading to have larger storage capacity, allowing to record larger quantity of image data in one memory card. Accordingly, there is growing demand for effectively sorting the image data in the memory card.
For example, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2004-304619 discloses a digital camera, in which a folder is newly created in a memory card and image data obtained by image capturing is stored as an image file in the folder when a shutter button is depressed after depressing a folder creation switch. Following image capturing is performed by depression of only the shutter button without depressing the folder creation switch, and image data obtained by image capturing is stored in the same folder until a next folder is created.
In addition, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2003-319296 discloses a digital camera, in which a predetermined folder in an incorporated memory is designated and image data is stored in this folder, when the digital camera is turned on. When a user wants to designate another folder, the user operates a folder switching ring, and a folder indicated by the folder switching ring is used for storing image data obtained by following image capturing.
However, in the digital camera of Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2004-304619, there is the need to operate the folder creation switch before staring the image capturing. This operation is a bother. In addition, if the user unintentionally forgets the operation of the folder creation switch, the folder is not created and the image data is not sorted.
In the digital camera of Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2003-319296, there is the need to operate the folder switching ring for the image capturing. In addition, there is the need to designate a folder every time the turn on of the digital camera. This operation becomes a great bother when the digital camera is frequently turned on/off.